Machines, apparatus, or systems for applying, for example, tax stamps to individual packages of cigarettes contained within a carton of cigarettes are known in the art. An example of one such machine, apparatus, or system is disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 4,265,355 which issued to Davis on May 5, 1981. In accordance with the operative structure comprising the disclosed machine, apparatus, or system, cartons of cigarettes are transported or conveyed by means of an infeed conveyor to an input platform or table, and subsequently, the cartons of cigarettes are further conveyed, moved, or routed through a carton separating stage, a carton flap opening stage, a carton flap fold-back stage, a cigarette package stamping stage, and a carton flap reglueing stage. If cartons having different length, different width, and/or different height dimensions are to be processed, various structural components or mechanisms comprising the various aforenoted cigarette carton and package processing stages or stations must be adjusted so as to in fact enable the machine, apparatus, or system to accommodate and process the cartons having such different length, width, and height dimensions. Unfortunately, in accordance with the structural arrangement or construction comprising the various interactive or interoperative components of the aforenoted machine, apparatus, or system of Davis, the adjustable structural components or mechanisms must be manually adjusted which is very time-consuming and tedious for operator personnel. As can therefore be readily appreciated, the through-put processing speed of the machine, apparatus, or system is relatively slow, and the through-put processing or output volume of the machine, apparatus, or system is relatively low.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved machine, apparatus, or system for applying tax stamps to individual packages of cigarettes contained within a carton of cigarettes wherein the various interactive or interoperative components of the machine, apparatus, or system which comprise, or are positioned at, for example, the carton flap opening station, the cigarette package stamping station, and the carton flap closing station, are able to be automatically adjusted “on-the-fly” or, in other words, while the various cigarette cartons are being conveyed along their processing path or route, such that the through-put processing speed of the machine, apparatus, or system is relatively fast, and the through-put processing or output volume of the machine, apparatus, or system is relatively high.